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While a big-data revolution is under way in health care, there is also another silent revolution brewing in healthcare industry in the form of Regenerative Medicine.

In this session of Risk Roundup, Risk Group discusses Regenerative Medicine and Healthcare with GIOSTAR CEO Mr. Deven Patel, CEO, President & Cofounder at Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and Research (GIOSTAR) with headquarter in San Diego, California, U.S.A.

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Neurorestoration within the human central nervous system (CNS) is a concept that is barely a decade old. Despite this, there is significant clinical activity in this area, although there has not been any attempt to systematically identify these trials and organize them by disease area and phase of development. The objective of this investigation is to broadly review the current state of neurorestorative clinical trial activity ongoing worldwide.
METHODS: Iterative searches of the databases clinicaltrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register and ADIS Insight were used to locate clinical trials identified as involving neurorecovery/restoration strategies or stem cells for central nervous system diseases.
RESULTS: A wide range of neurorestorative clinical trials (N = 106) are ongoing or planned. Nearly three-fourths of all clinical trials (75/106) are targeting one of four disease areas: multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of 106 ongoing and planned clinical trials focus on cell-based therapy, although these are almost exclusively in phase 1 or 2 of development.
DISCUSSION: Neurorecovery is an emerging field that is currently focused on earlier stages of clinical development, primarily in four disease areas. As the field matures, it is expected that there will be a greater balance of studies across a wider spectrum of CNS diseases as well as in late-stage development.

Sickle Cell Anaemia is the most common form of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). SCD is a serious disorder in which the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells. Sickle-shaped means that the red blood cells are shaped like a crescent. In Gujarat, this disease is prevalent in certain tribes. The State Government under the leadership of Honble Chief Minister is committed to improve the lives of marginalized people and weaker sections of society to bring them at par with rest of the people of the State. As a part of improving the lives of people especially tribals and in a bid to control the menace of disease which affects a very large tribal population of the state, the Government has taken various measures and also decided to set up Gujarat Sickle Cell Control Society. The Sickle Cell Anaemia Control Programme was started in four districts of South Gujarat in the year 2006 at the behest of Honble Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The programme was later expanded to all 12 tribal districts of the State. Initially, 78 Government and NGO Institutions were involved in the programme from 4 tribal districts of South Gujarat. As of December 2010, there were 414 centres across the 12 tribal districts of that were involved in the comprehensive care of SCA patients.

The Government has taken up the challenging task of Mass Sickle Cell Screening of all 61.62 lakh tribal population of Gujarat within 5 years at a cost of Rs.24.76 crore. The Government of Gujarat also signed a MoU with GIOSTAR, a USA based company for creating stem cell faculties at the Government Medical College, Surat. Under this programme, more than 13 lakh tribal people benefited during last four years. This is an unique and a highly focused programme to tackle the problem of Sickle Cell Anemia in the tribal population of the State. A multi-pronged and comprehensive strategy was adopted. They were also provided necessary counseling. Marriage counseling was also done amongst youngsters. As a result, tremendous awareness is noticeable amongst tribal people of Gujarat by way of their participation in prenatal diagnosis and new born screening program, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality as a result of this genetic disorder. In fact, to improve the lives of tribal people and bring them at par with rest of the population in the State, Honble Chief Minister has launched a Rs.15,000 crore Van Bandhu Yojana for implementation during 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012). During last 10 years, Gujarat is acknowledged as a State which has planned and implemented a number of excellent initiatives which have solved the problems of the State and these initiatives have become model for rest of the country. Some of the schemes/models have been recognized internationally by Commonwealth and United Nations.

The health sector, which was rather ignored at the last Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit (VGGIS), has attracted Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) worth Rs 7,231.26 crore as against Rs 800 crore signed in the previous summits. The number of MOUs signed in this sector shot up from eight in 2007 to 32 this year, the highest till date. Dr J Awasia, the Deputy Director of Medical Sciences, said: “Apart from a huge upswing in the number of projects signed, quite a few number of interesting projects have come up this time.” The GIOSTAR Global Institute for Stemcell Therapy Treatment MoU was signed for a 2-billion dollar investment, bringing home the much-awaited stem-cell treatment that promises to bring hope for many diseases in one go. Among the promising projects signed at the summit are the setting up of a 5,000-bed super specialty private hospital by the Narayan Rutiulaya Pvt Ltd, which will equal the proposed capacity of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, which is to be upgraded under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). The Quality Council of India has come up with a project to assess and upgrade the quality standards of the rural health institutes like the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state.

The Rs 5-crore project will see investment undertaken by the government, with the Quality Council of India providing technological cooperation. Joint Secretary (Health) Mona Khadar, said: “The first of its kind Naturopathy Treatment Centre at Anand has been signed by the Nisarg Hospital. Naturopathy is an emerging area in the state. This project is worth Rs 7 crore.” A Rs 2-crore Homoeopathic Hospital to be set up by the M L Dhavle Memorial Homoeopathy Institution will be an addition to the homoeopathy treatment services in the state. Medical education has successfully grabbed the attention of investors. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will set up a dental and a medical college (150 seats each) attached to the L G Hospital (Sheth Lallubhai General Hospital) at the closed Balakiya Mills site. The Adani Education Research Foundation has entered an MoU to set up a 150-seat medical college in Bhuj. The Gujarat Cancer Society will also set up a 150-seat medical college in Ahmedabad at a cost of Rs 100 crore. Of the eight MoUs signed at the previous summit, two have been dropped and another two are reportedly complete. The remaining four projects are under process. The 32 MoUs in the health sector this time look promising. With the government announcing 60 per cent of the implementation, compared to the RTI documents showing only 25 per cent, at least investment of Rs 180 crore is expected to flow in.